Sage's Kataang Week 2012
by Light-Eco-Sage
Summary: COMPLETE! In honor of Kataang Forever's Kataang Week 2012! Seven days, seven prompts, and a love that lasts a lifetime. Kataang romance, of course.
1. Day 1: Beginnings

**Sage's Kataang Week 2012**

**By: Light-Eco-Sage**

**Rated: Teen for romance (Kataang).**

**Summary: A progression of the love story between Aang and Katara for Kataang Week 2012. (July 22 - July 28, 2012)  
**

**Disclaimer: **_**Avatar: The Last Airbender**_** is owned by Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Nickelodeon, and Viacom.**

_Many of the Kataang moments near the start were fluffy and adorable. Panda Lilies, Necklaces, the Iceberg… Focus on early series Kataang, like S1._

**Day 1: Beginnings**

* * *

**In Crush**

* * *

There seemed to be no other explanation. Aang was getting sick.

There are two different types of people in the world: people who seem to be sick a lot and some who rarely ever get sick. Aang had always found himself in the latter category. He'd been injured, of course. No one could master any form of Bending without getting injured a time or two. But actual illness was something that he'd almost never experienced.

But what other explanation could there be for the way he was feeling right now?

He was feverish. His skin felt like it was crawling. And his stomach would cramp with a feeling like there were butterflies fluttering around his insides. It was like the flu, but not quite.

The strangest thing about his illness was that it only seemed to happen at certain times, which made him certain that it wasn't the flu or a cold. He would be fine for the whole day, and then it would happen. Katara would glance at him across the camp, smile at him, or _heaven forbid_ touch him and the symptoms of his mysterious illness would flare up until he just wanted curl up and hide until the illness passed.

Once, when he was a little boy, he had heard some of his friends at the Southern Air Temple talk about cooties: some mysterious property that girls had that made close contact with boys undesirable.

Aang had not known many girls in his life, and those that he did know had not seemed dangerous to him, so he had dismissed the notion of cooties. But now, with Katara's very presence affecting him this way, he had to admit that maybe those boys were right about the mysterious cooties.

Perhaps he was catching cooties, and that was what caused the strange symptoms to flare up. He tried to remember what his friends had said about cooties. _The only way to avoid them is to stay away from girls._

He could stay away from Katara. Of course, he wouldn't abandon her since they were all traveling to the North Pole and she had never left the South Pole before, but he could put some distance between them. Perhaps he could get closer to Sokka, make more of an effort to become his friend. He was a boy and, therefore, didn't have any cooties.

As soon as he began to consider backing off from Katara, he grew sick at the very thought. It was not like the cootie symptoms, but like his heart had dropped into his stomach. And he knew, at that moment, that backing off from her couldn't be an option.

For some reason, it hurt worse to pull away than it did to be close. _Cooties grew stronger over distances_, he guessed. He made a mental note to start avoiding all other girls from then on. Even if he caught Katara's cooties, at least he could stop from being effected by any others.

But then another thought occurred to him. He had met other girls besides Katara on their journey so far, and none of them had provoked the same kind of reaction. Not even his group of fangirls on Kyoshi Island had him reacting like this, and they sometimes got a little too close for comfort.

Aang blinked with the realization that it was Katara, _just Katara_, that had him reacting this way. It was like she was the only girl with cooties in the whole world. But that couldn't be right. His friends had clearly said that _all_ girls had cooties.

So maybe Katara didn't have cooties after all. She had something else. Something more mysterious and possibly more dangerous than cooties. But he had no idea what it could be. Was the problem with her, or was it with him? It was difficult to say.

He jumped when he felt a light hand fall on his shoulder. He twisted around from his seated position and his eyes met hers. She was awfully close to him. He froze as the symptoms began to consume his body… the heat, the tingling feeling on his skin, especially where she touched him, and the butterfly battle going on in his stomach.

"Hey, Aang, are you all right?" Katara asked. "You're being really quiet tonight."

Aang blinked, taking in his surroundings. They were in the middle of the woods, and it was nighttime. _Nighttime_? When had it become nighttime? Aang was in shock. The sun had been up the last time he was aware of it. Had he really spaced out for that long?

His face started burning as a hot blush spread across his face. He had no idea why, but perhaps it was the embarrassment of having been caught after letting his guard down for so long. "I'm fine, Katara. Just thinking."

"About what?" Katara asked good-naturedly.

Aang's eyes widened as he stared at her. Dare he confess that her very presence caused him to become sick with some mysterious illness that made him feverish and made his stomach do flips? A part of him wanted to confess and tell her everything; but another part, the louder part, wanted him to keep his silence. A part of him, an instinctual part or maybe even the Avatar part of him that had lived for a thousand lifetimes, urged him to silence.

He cast around for a lie, but he'd never really been good with lies. He settled upon a half-truth instead. "Something." Or maybe a quarter-truth.

Katara stared at him. Aang sat, frozen; worried that she would insist on a more detailed answer than the one he had given her… anything other than the ultimate in generic answers. After a few tense moments that felt like an eternity, Katara smiled and backed off. "Okay. As long as you're okay. But you do know that you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"Of course!" Aang answered, perhaps a bit too quickly. He blushed again, realizing how foolish he sounded. "Um… good night, Katara."

"Good night, Aang." Katara smiled, turned, and walked back into camp towards the tent she shared with her brother.

Aang watched her go, and smiled despite the fact that the illness still consumed him. It didn't feel so terrible anymore. It felt good. Addictive, even.

He realized that there was one more option that he hadn't considered yet. During his travels before being frozen in the iceberg, he had seen young couples together… a boy and girl who would pair up, hold hands, kiss, and generally stay with their partner for the rest of their lives. Love.

That could be the explanation for why only Katara seemed to give him these feelings. What if he _liked_ her as more than a friend? What if she were his partner in love, his other half? What if…?

That and a million other what if's occurred to him before he pushed the thought aside. He couldn't love her. He _couldn't_! He had only known her for a few weeks. He had to admit that he enjoyed her company a great deal, that he admired her, that he enjoyed delving into and discovering the different facets of her personality, and that she was beautiful…

Aang's mind screeched to a halt. _Beautiful. I just called her beautiful._ It wasn't a lie. Aang could appreciate beauty and Katara _was_ very beautiful.

But he couldn't _love_ her, right? He was twelve years old. _Twelve_! Manhood was years and years away for him.

He _liked_ her, Aang decided. It was a nice, safe thing to think. He liked her. No one could fault him for that.

_A crush. That's what I have. A crush._ Aang realized. It wasn't as mysterious or feared as cooties, but it felt much more dangerous because it was so much more real.

"It's natural to feel that way, right?" Aang asked out-loud to no one in particular, and then sighed. He was in crush, and he would just have to deal with that.

* * *

Across the camp, Katara laid down on her sleeping bag and tuned out the sound of her brother's snores as she did every night. Her thoughts turned towards the young Air Nomad and Avatar who slept outside and under the stars every night.

Just the thought of the young man was enough to send shivers through her body and a blush to creep, mostly hidden by her skin tone, across her face. _Crushing on your best friend isn't that bad._ She thought to herself before she turned over and fell asleep.

* * *

**Day One, finished.**


	2. Day 2: Complications

_Gahhh, the angst! Aang have to let go of Katara, the chakra thing, Aang being shot down by lightning! Oh my… Season 2-ish, perhaps?_

**Day II: Complications**

* * *

**An Ambiguous Dream**

* * *

It was yet another dull and boring day in Ba Sing Se.

Aang sighed and leaned back on his mattress so that he could stare up and count the tiles on the ceiling. He had lost count of the number of times that he'd done this in the last few weeks, and he would probably do it a hundred more times in the weeks to come.

He finished his count, and came to the conclusion that the ceiling had the same number of tiles as the last time he counted. He closed his eyes and sighed again. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so bored… forced to sit and wait for weeks on end before they were allowed to see the Earth King.

"Aang?" A voice called, and the young Avatar jumped slightly in shock. He hadn't heard anyone enter the room. He sat up, opened his eyes, and stared at the doorway, his mouth hanging open at the sight.

Katara stood in the doorway, smiling at him with an intense expression that he didn't recognize. She had been to the spa that day and come back all made up. She had washed off the make-up, but it only seemed to increase her beauty in his eyes.

He was about to say her name, but the word caught in his throat as she sauntered her way across the room. And Aang wasn't the sort of person who used the word _sauntered_, but there was no other word for how she moved. She sauntered, and his mouth went dry. Before he could get a word out, she had crawled onto the bed with him, running her hand along his right shoulder. Her expression was inviting and terrifying at the same time. "Katara?" Aang asked, backing away from her slightly. "What are you doing?"

"What I've wanted to do for a long time." Katara whispered to him, her stroking hand moving up to cup the nape of his neck. Aang closed his eyes and sighed as she lightly caressed his bare skin. He was about to open his eyes when he felt a strange, light pressure on his lips.

His eyes shot open, hardly able to comprehend what his senses were telling him. Katara had leaned into him and was _kissing_ him! It was just a simple touch of the lips, but she lingered against him, eyes closed.

He froze. All the old symptoms of his crush were returning with a vengeance. He could feel his face heating up with a blush, and his stomach twisted himself in knots. It was all more intense now because Katara was _kissing him_ rather than just smiling at him or glancing at him.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she pulled away from him. Her sincere eyes met his confused ones. "Katara… what…?"

She pressed her index finger to his lips, causing him to go slightly cross-eyed as he tried to see. "Shh." She whispered, removing her finger from his lips and replacing it with her own lips once again.

Aang was confused beyond all reason, but he had enough sense to just enjoy what was happening to him. He had never really kissed a girl before in his life, but it was pleasant. Extremely pleasant. He took a chance and placed his shaking hands on her waist. Katara made no indication that this was wrong, so he left his hands there as she continued to kiss him.

They parted for a breath and Katara drove right back into the kiss, barely giving Aang any time to think about what was happening. There was nothing to do but sit back and enjoy it.

After kissing his lips thoroughly, Katara began to kiss her way down his chin towards his neck. Aang gasped for air as she found a particularly sensitive spot above his collarbone. "Katara… We… I…" But he couldn't get the thought out. He wasn't even one hundred percent sure what the thought _was._

Katara was whispering something between her kisses, but Aang had been so preoccupied with her lips that he had no idea what she was saying. But the words were starting to become clearer and clearer. "Wake up, Aang. Wake up."

"Huh?" Aang gasped.

"It's time to wake up, Aang." Katara said a little louder. And then… "Aang!"

* * *

Aang jumped, his fright propelling him out of dream land. He sat up swiftly, and almost bonked heads with Katara, who was leaning over him, trying to wake him up.

Katara reared back, a little shocked at his explosive wake up this morning. She couldn't help but be concerned about him. In the time that she had known Aang, she knew that he was a morning person. So for him to sleep in until nearly noon like he had this morning was strange, but even stranger that he'd react so violently upon being awakened.

Aang stared at her like she was a wild animal that would tear him to pieces, eyes wide, mouth open, and chest heaving. "Katara! What are you doing?" He demanded, a little louder than usual. His voice cracked and went up a few octaves. He cleared his throat, as if the problem was a blockage.

"Calm down, Aang. You're voice is cracking, and if you get excited it will just make it worse. Believe me. I went through this with Sokka." Katara told him. "I was just coming to wake you up. You've been asleep all morning. It's not… like you."

"I was… just having a dream. Sorry, I didn't mean to almost have a meltdown there." Aang apologized.

"It's fine. So, did you have a good dream or a bad dream?" Katara asked.

Aang drew his legs up to his chest and ran his hand over his scalp, making a mental note to shave when he got up. He was over-due, and he could feel some stubble growing there.

A good dream or a bad dream? Well, it had obviously been a good dream. Kissing Katara had been something that he'd been longing to do since the near-kiss in the Cave of Two Lovers. He was still unsure whether he could call that moment in the Cave of Two Lovers a kiss. Their lips had only touched for the briefest of moments before they had pulled apart from the crystals lighting up. And _these dreams_ were becoming more and more frequent. They were all basically the same even if the setting changed from dream to dream. He'd be sitting around and Katara would interrupt him and they would start kissing out of nowhere.

When these dreams first started to come, he would have a hard time looking at Katara the next day. He couldn't imagine what her reaction would be if she knew that her best friend was dreaming of kissing her with embarrassing regularity.

But they were dreams, and harmless. Aang couldn't imagine forcing himself or his affection on Katara. It was all still too scary and too new. Ever since he had realized that he had a crush on her, he'd kept it largely inside in the hope that it would just go away. He knew from talks with older and wiser friends that crushes tended to fade with him. He had resolved to wait and let the crush just resolve itself.

Needless to say, it hadn't.

Instead of weakening, his feelings for her had only grown stronger since the incident with the Cave of Two Lovers. Before then, he had been content with the status quo of their relationship: that of friends… his secret crush non-withstanding.

It was starting to get more serious, a bigger issue than it had been before. He was no longer sure that it was just a crush. He longed to talk to his past life, Avatar Roku, about it, but he didn't want to bother him with something as frivolous as a girl while there was a war to end.

As soon as he thought the last thought, he dismissed it. In the grand scheme of things, Katara was certainly not as important as the war. But she was that important to a single Airbender-Who-Is-Also-The-Avatar.

Bigger feelings came with bigger problems. He was almost comfortable enough to use the word 'love' about Katara. It was terrifying and made his heart skip a beat every time he thought about the fact that he loved her. He knew Katara a lot better now, and he had yet to find a single thing that he found unattractive about her. Even things that he didn't think that he'd find attractive before he met Katara, like non-vegetarianism, was perfectly fine with him.

He loved her. All of her. It was big, and scary, and made him want to run and hide forever. He'd never felt this way about anyone, and the very thought that he would most likely end up having to tell her about his feelings for her someday sent his knees shaking.

It was too much, too soon.

A good dream? Yes. A bad dream? To a large degree, yes.

Katara watched the stricken look on Aang's face for several minutes before she laughed, snapping her fingers in front of his eyes to wake him up. "Earth to Aang, are you in there?" She asked, smiling.

Aang jumped. "What? Sorry… what was the question again?" He asked.

"Your dream. Was it a good dream or a bad dream?" Katara repeated.

Aang sighed, and glanced out the window. "I honestly don't know."

* * *

**LES: A little bit of a fake-out make-out. I'm not as happy with this one as I am with the first chapter. Oh well, if there has to be a dud, let it be this chapter.  
**


	3. Day 3: The Spark and Confusion

**LES: This one might be pushing the rating. There is talk about an embarrassing problem with male puberty and a watered down version of "The Talk". I went to lengths to keep it as clean as possible.**

_Oh, that Kataango! Oh… oh no, that… EIP. Yikes, that's a jump. Something angsty or fluffy in Season 3 time!_

**Day III: The Spark and Confusion**

* * *

Learning Firebending makes one hot.

Okay, bad pun. But it still stood. Learning the art of fire had also been a study of passions, and Aang was dismayed to discover that tapping into your emotions led to a few… negative consequences.

He hurried away from the rest of the group into the hidden reaches of the Western Air Temple. Once he was out of ear-shot from the rest of the group, he slowed to a stop, leaning against the wall.

The cold stone did wonders for his feverish forehead, but the pressure of pressing his hips against the stone did little to relieve the problem that had developed… down there. In fact, the pressure only seemed to make the situation worse.

Aang groaned in frustration, banging his forehead lightly against the stone. It was a sad fact of life that puberty never worked for the sufferer's convenience. _Oh? You're in the middle of a war and this is the worst possible time to start developing a physical attraction to girls? Sorry, but it doesn't work like that. Here's the most embarrassing aspect of puberty. Deal with it._

The worst part was trying to deal with the situation with limited knowledge. The monks had told him that puberty would change him, but they hadn't gone into the details that take place upon entering your teenage years.

He racked his mind, trying to pull up any piece of information that he had ever heard that could help with his 'issue'. It was hard to think with a good portion of the blood in his body going… well; it wasn't going to his brain, in any case.

And then it came to him. Cold water. He'd heard that cold water helped. And he was pretty close to that fountain. He pushed away from the wall and began to make his way down to the fountain. Once he got there, and made sure that no one was around, he jumped in fully clothed. It would look odd to anyone watching, but the last thing Aang wanted to do right now was expose his body. He just wanted to hide it.

He sat there for a few minutes, waiting for the cold water to work its magic, and he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. The young Avatar panicked and ducked into the water until the water level was just below his eyes.

The person got closer and Aang realized it was Sokka. He had no idea what Sokka was doing around the fountain this late at night, but he definitely didn't want to be discovered by him. Not when he was struggling with the physical manifestation of his feelings for the older boy's sister. He could only imagine what Sokka would do if he knew that Aang had feelings of physical lust for his sister… but it probably involved the use of his Space Sword.

To Aang's dismay, Sokka pulled out his Space Sword and began to practice the forms of swordsmanship by himself. Aang was starting to panic for real now. He was an Airbender and could hold his breath for a long time, but he knew that it was impossible for him to hold his breath for as long as it took Sokka to practice. _And when would his problem go away_?

Several minutes passed and Aang fought the burning in his lungs until he couldn't fight it anymore. He was about to pass out before he sat up in the water and took a deep breath to counter the lack of oxygen.

Sokka, of course, didn't miss Aang's gasping breath and spun on his heel to see Aang sitting… or hiding, in the fountain. "Aang? What are you doing here?" Sokka asked.

"Huh? Oh… I was… hot?" Aang lied lamely.

"Okay. I don't need to have Toph's magic feet to know that was a lie." Sokka commented, starting to move closer to the Avatar. "And why are you swimming in your clothes?"

A deep blush formed on Aang's face as Sokka began to walk over. "Don't come any closer!" Aang yelled as he panicked. There was _no way_ Sokka could ever find out about his condition!

Sokka stopped in his tracks, staring at the blushing Airbender. The Water Tribe Warrior may have been oblivious about a lot of things, but he could still put two and two together. Aang was blushing, sitting fully-clothed in water, and seemed to have both of his hands pressed to his… Two plus two equals four.

Sokka knew instantly what was bothering Aang, and he sighed with pity. It was easy to forget sometimes that Aang was a young teenager now instead of a kid. If he were going through the change without a male authority figure to guide him… Sokka knew for a fact how confusing it could get. Sokka had to go through the same thing after his father and the other men left to war. Gran-Gran and some of the older women had tried to be helpful, but they couldn't really replace the boy's need for the help of a sympathetic male. He knew that Aang had to feel confused and embarrassed.

"Hey, Aang, it's all right." Sokka said. "I know that you're feeling embarrassed, but you don't have to be."

"You mean…" Aang trailed off, his face taking on a new shade of red that Sokka hadn't thought possible. "You know…?"

"Of course I know." Sokka said. "You think that I didn't go through all this when I was your age? It's nothing to be ashamed of. And, by the way, that cold water thing is just a myth. It doesn't really work."

Aang gaped at him. "What do you mean, it doesn't work? Then how am I supposed to… you know… take care of it?"

"Just what you said. Take care of it. You can take care of it yourself." Sokka said. Sokka met the boy's eyes, and was shocked to see that he was confused. Did he really have no idea…? Sokka took pity on the boy, moved closer, and whispered several sentences into Aang's ear. The younger boy's eyes grew wider with every word.

"I'm supposed to _what_?" He demanded.

"Hey, I know that it sounds gross, but it's the best way to take care of it, honestly." Sokka said, shrugging. "So, I guess I'll just leave you to it…"

"Wait, Sokka!" Aang almost leapt out of the fountain, but quickly sat down again, unwilling to expose his body from the water. "I, um… need some advice."

"About puberty?"

"About girls."

"Girls? You mean that a girl caused this?" Sokka asked, shocked. When he had been Aang's age, those sorts of issues had been caused more often by physical sensation and vague dreams. It wasn't until he'd left the South Pole and started meeting girls his age that he started having those sorts of reactions to girls. At thirteen years old and with limited prospects, Aang was _all ready_ noticing girls in a physical way? _That boy defies all logic._ Sokka thought to himself.

"Well, a girl…" Aang began hurriedly, and then lied again. "No one that you know…"

Sokka cast his mind around, trying to think about any girls that they had been around recently that Aang could have been attracted to. He settled on that girl that he shared a dance with at the Fire Nation dance party they had. What was her name? On Ji? Something like that.

"I think I know." Sokka said, and Aang stared at him in horror. "It was that On Ji girl, right?"

"Who?" Aang asked, before quickly recovering himself. "Oh! I mean, yes… we're talking about On Ji here! What other girl could I be talking about? The thought of me having these sort of feelings for some other girl…" He trailed off when he saw Sokka giving him an odd look. "I'm just a little… embarrassed." Aang lied. He honestly had no idea how he was getting away with all these lies. But it was better if Sokka thought that he were interested in On Ji. That way Aang could get his advice, and Sokka didn't have to know that Aang was in love with his sister. Win-win.

"Okay… so what do you want to know?" Sokka asked.

"I really, really like K… On Ji." Aang corrected himself before he said Katara's name. Of course, some details would have to be changed for the story to fit with the time he knew On Ji. Like he could get away with saying that he loved a girl that he'd only known for a few days… "We kissed, but then nothing seemed to happen after that. I'm just worried that… it didn't mean anything to her."

Sokka nodded sagely, wishing that he'd brought his Wang Fire beard along. "Well, Aang, you only knew her for a little while. Maybe she thought you were moving too fast. Did you tell her that you liked her?"

Aang paused thoughtfully. He had kissed Katara on the Day of Black Sun. He thought that would be enough, but he had to guess that it wasn't. He technically hadn't said the actual words. He had never confessed that he loved Katara out loud except to the Guru. "Well… no… I didn't exactly say that. I thought the kiss would be enough."

"Girls like to be told, without a doubt, when boys like them." Sokka said. "Signals like that, even kissing, sometimes aren't enough to get through to them."

"But I'm scared to say the words out loud." Aang said.

"Feeling for someone the first time is confusing." Sokka admitted. "But, listen, Aang… you've got time. You probably won't even get a chance to see her again until after you defeat the Firelord. You have weeks to work up your courage. Tell her the next time you see her. You should be ready by then."

_I'll be seeing Katara tonight._ Aang thought to himself. But he did understand what Sokka was saying to him. He could tell Katara the actual words when he was ready to. He had weeks to go before he faced the Firelord. Surely he could gather his courage before then?

"Thanks, Sokka. I think I'll do that." Aang said.

Sokka sighed, glad that the talk was over. Giving Aang, who was like a little brother to him, the Talk had been an experience that he could have lived without. But at least Aang wasn't dying of embarrassment from a completely natural function now. And, speaking of which… "I'll leave you alone now, you know, to take care of business…" He made a hand gesture that caused Aang to remember what Sokka told him about 'taking care of his problem' and caused him to blush.

"Uh… right." Aang muttered, blushing and dropping his gaze from the older boy.

Sokka turned and left the boy to his own devices. As much as he loved the young Airbender, he _did not_ want to be anywhere near him for the occasion. In fact, Sokka was nearly back to camp before he began to realize that perhaps he wasn't being truthful about On Ji being the focus of his feelings…


	4. Day 4: Happy Beginnings

**LES: The poem used in this chapter is "Of Pearls and Stars" by Heinrich Heine. It seemed to fit nicely with the romance between an Airbender and Waterbender. XD**

_The finale, the finale! The kiss! The start of their relationship! Get on it with your lovely interpretations!_

**Day IV: Happy Beginnings**

**A Long Awaited Confession**

* * *

Aang knew, without a doubt, that this was the best night of his life so far.

It was hard to believe that only a few hours ago, he was living in doubt that Katara felt even a fraction of what he felt for her. But those negative thoughts had been utterly blown out of the water because of The Kiss.

Yes, The Kiss. It deserved capitalization. He had never kissed her like that, and he had certainly never dreamed of kissing her like that. What she had done on the balcony with her hands, lips, and _tongue_ left him reveling in it hours later.

It was nighttime, and he was on a different balcony now… the balcony around his new home in Ba Sing Se. When they had returned to the Earth Kingdom Capital, he'd been shocked to discover that not only was the original building they stayed in repaired even grander than it was before, but it had been gifted to Aang as a thank you gift for ending the War.

He leaned against the railing, grinning to himself. All his thoughts led back to Katara. He was utterly incapable of thinking about anything else at the moment. All that mattered in the entire world was that Katara was alive, safe, and with him.

In fact, he was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't realize the very object of his thoughts and affections had stepped outside behind him. Katara smiled at the sight of him. They had both been through so much and she knew now, without a doubt, that she loved him. Not just the sort of love that was between friends or family members. She loved him in this huge, breathtaking, romantic way.

She moved up behind him, amused that he hadn't noticed her presence yet. She reached around his body and wrapped her arms around him so she was leaning into his back. Aang jumped slightly at the contact, but instantly relaxed when the skin tone of the feminine arms wrapped around him gave away the owner's identity.

"What are you doing out here?" Katara asked softly. Aang could feel her lips brushing against his neck as she spoke.

"Just thinking… about how happy I am right now." Aang told her. It was such a relief to speak to her honestly. He had been bottling up his feelings for months now, and releasing that had been liberating. In moments like this, he couldn't understand how he could have been so terrified of confessing his feelings to her. His hand gripped her hand where it rested against his chest, squeezing her fingers between his affectionately. "You have no idea how happy it makes me that we got through this war together… both of us… all of us."

"I know. I feel the same way." Katara whispered, now kissing his neck earnestly. Aang closed his eyes and sighed, allowing her a moment to do as she wanted before he turned in her arms so that their lips could meet.

Katara sighed into his mouth as they sunk into their passion together, kissing each other with just as much passion as they had on the balcony of the Jasmine Dragon earlier that evening. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her hands tracing up his tattoo in a soft caress of his bare skin.

After a time, they pulled apart, resting their foreheads together so that they could gaze into each other's eyes, grinning happily. Without meaning to, they began to sway together to the tune of imaginary music. It was not a passionate dance like the one they shared at the Fire Nation dance party. It was an intimate dance instead.

They swayed together, under Yue's light, completely lost in each other's company. After a while, Katara broke the silence with a whisper. "Tell me something?"

"Like what?" Aang replied, never ceasing their movement.

"Anything." Katara answered. "I just want to hear the sound of your voice."

Katara waited patiently while Aang cast around for something to say. After a few seconds, his face lit up and he smiled. "Okay." He took a breath and whispered to her:

"_The pearly treasures of the sea,_

_The lights that spatter heaven above,_

_More precious than these wonders are_

_My heart-of-hearts filled with your love._

_The ocean's power, the heavenly sights_

_Cannot outweigh a love filled heart._

_And sparkling stars or glowing pearls_

_Pale as love flashes, beams and darts._

_So, little, youthful maiden come_

_Into my ample, feverish heart_

_For heaven and earth and sea and sky_

_Do melt as love hath melt my heart."_

When Aang had finished speaking, Katara stopped swaying and leaned against him and into his embrace, laughing happily. When she pulled away, she was smiling at him. "Poetry? And not just any poetry… love poetry."

"Too cheesy?" Aang asked, a little nervously.

"No, no, not at all." Katara replied. "Well… the poetry was a little cheesy, but it was perfect for you. And, Aang?" He met her eyes and she smiled at him. "I love you too."

They kissed again, completely unaware that they were not as alone as they thought they were.

* * *

Zuko, Sokka, and Toph stood in the doorway. Neither Zuko nor Toph seemed to be surprised by what they were witnessing, but Sokka's eyes were nearly bugging out of his head.

Part of Sokka couldn't believe it, and the other part of him couldn't believe that he hadn't seen it sooner. That whole talk that he had with Aang weeks ago, about his feelings for On Ji. He _had_ a feeling that Aang didn't really feel that way about the Fire Nation girl. He should have grown even more suspicious when they had defeated the Loser Lord, and he made no attempts to try to talk his friends into going to the Fire Nation and back to that school. He'd never had his sights on On Ji! It had always been on Katara!

Hindsight has perfect vision, and Sokka could now clearly see the string of events that led to Aang and Katara making out on their balcony in the middle of the night. Wait… his younger sister was making out with the AVATAR! Sokka was about to jump forward and put an end to their displays when Zuko and Toph teamed up on him and dragged him back into the house. Zuko and Toph dragged him to the living room and through him down on the couch.

"What was that for?" Sokka demanded. "You saw them! You both _saw _them! They were…"

"They were not doing anything that I haven't been expecting them to do since the moment I met them." Toph said. "Get with the program, Snoozles. This has been a long time coming."

"Even I've seen it coming for a long time." Zuko commented. "Honestly, I all ready thought they were together when I was still chasing you guys towards the North Pole."

"Yeah. So you are just gonna have to calm down and accept the fact that Aang's going to become your brother-in-law someday."

"Wait… what? _Marriage_?" Sokka gasped.

Zuko and Toph glanced at each other and shook their heads. Toph sighed. "I give up." Zuko nodded in agreement. He certainly didn't envy Aang having to explain to Sokka the next morning about his relationship with his sister.

Well, still, it could wait for morning. They deserved a single peaceful night as a new couple together, at least.


	5. Day 5: Young Love and Adventure

_It's not like _The Promise_ would be the only adventure they have as they start growing closer together as a strong, stable couple! Use the idea that they're young adults for this day, have fun with it!_

**Day V: Young Love and Adventure**

**The Beginning of the Rest of Our Lives**

* * *

There was beauty to be found in all four nations, but even the most loyal to their own nation had to grudgingly admit that the Fire Nation had some of the most naturally beautiful land in the whole world. It was hot and nearly intolerable to most, but the beauty of the land had been the subject of art for centuries.

It was a fierce and volcanic beauty, just like the element that a portion of the Fire Nation citizens could command at will. And within the Fire Nation, there were few places more beautiful than Ember Island.

It was an island seemingly made for beauty and the celebration of young lives. It was the number one party destination for every teen in the world, but only a few would ever have the honor of experiencing it for themselves.

Avatar Aang and Master Katara were some of those lucky few.

It was very late, so late in fact that it was early. The eastern sky would begin to glow with the light of dawn in just about an hour or so. Katara was vaguely able to register the fact that she'd been up all night. It didn't matter anyway. She was young and she had nothing of importance to do the next day.

She and her boyfriend, Avatar Aang, had been up all night enjoying a party at one of the livelier night clubs. Even nearly three years after their secret dance party in the Fire Nation, neither Aang nor Katara had lost a love for dancing. And they could do it all night long when given the opportunity.

Katara gazed at her boyfriend as he led her through the streets of Ember Island towards a destination that only he could imagine. He was fifteen years old now, nearly sixteen, and he never looked more handsome. His face was flushed from dancing all night, and a light coat of sweat covered his body. It was a sensual look, and would have had Katara jumping on him had he not obviously had some destination in mind.

She laughed as he continued to drag her through the streets. "Aang, where are you taking me?" She asked.

"I told you, Katara… it's a surprise." Aang said.

"No, you didn't. You just said that we had to leave the party right away. You never said where we were going."

"Really? Oh. Well, then I'm telling you now that it's a surprise." Aang said, grinning back at her.

Katara shook her head in exasperation, but allowed herself to be pulled along by her enthusiastic boyfriend.

It only took a few minutes for Aang to bring them to what was seemingly their destination. Katara recognized the place at once. It was the house they had stayed in while hiding on Ember Island before Aang had defeated the Firelord, the vacation home of the Firelord and his family, which now belonged to Zuko and his wife. But he wasn't leading them towards the actual house, but down towards the beach.

Just before they reached the beach, they were stopped by two of Zuko's guards, whose job it was to make sure that the Firelord's private residence stayed private while he was not there. Katara expected the guards to stop them, but to her shock they only bowed to Aang and said "Good morning, Avatar Aang. We've been expecting you. Everything has been set up as you commanded."

"Thank you." Aang smiled, giving them a very generous tip. The guards gratefully accepted the money and then stood aside for Aang and Katara to pass. Aang began to lead Katara down towards the beach.

"I'm sensing that you pulled some strings for this?" Katara asked.

"Yes. It was pretty difficult, but I managed to convince the Firelord to 'lend' me his private villa for a few hours." Aang said, his smile betraying his good humor.

Katara laughed. "I'll bet it was difficult considering how the Firelord happens to be a great friend of yours." When they stepped onto the beach, Katara stopped in her tracks, gazing with amazement at the sight before her. "Oh… wow!" She gasped.

The beach was lit up with dozens of paper lanterns, which gave the whole place a soft glow, and did not obscure the brilliant stars in the sky. At the center of the lit up area was a blanket laid out across the dark sand with a light picnic prepared for the two: mostly fruits and breads, in accordance to Aang's vegetarian tastes. It looked delicious. There was also a bottle of fine wine, definitely fine enough to have come from Zuko's private wine stores, and two glasses.

"Do you like it?" Aang asked, turning back towards her.

"Aang, I love it!" She jumped against him, wrapping her arms around his neck to embrace him. "I love you!" She pulled him into a kiss.

"Well, then let's go and enjoy it. It's all for you, after all." Aang said, taking her hand and leading her down towards the blanket. They sat down next to each other so that their sides were touching.

Katara tried a little bit of everything. All the fruit was sweet and delicious. The bread was sweet as well and divine when Aang showed her that there was honey for the bread. They both drank some of the wine, and if Katara needed anymore proof that it was indeed a fine wine, the taste proved it. They even got up the courage after a bit of wine to start feeding each other pieces of fruit. Of course, this activity soon led to softly exchanged kisses between the two lovers.

Katara sighed into his mouth as they kissed. Every kiss affected her the same way: making her heart soar. She doubted that Aang's kisses would ever do anything less to her. She loved him with all the love and passion that she had in her heart. He was everything to her; the whole world was hers for the taking in his arms. "I love you." Katara whispered, leaning closer into his body so that she was pressed flush against him.

"I love you too, Katara… so much… you have no idea…" Aang replied breathlessly, kissing her deeply and allowing his tongue to meet hers as they kissed. Katara lost track of the amount of time that they spent kissing, but the eastern sky was growing even brighter with the coming sunrise.

Aang pulled away from her after giving her one final chaste kiss. "Wait a moment, Katara… if we don't watch now, we might miss it."

"Miss what?" Katara asked.

"Just watch." Aang said, turning his gaze towards the eastern horizon.

"The sunrise?" Katara asked, guessing what Aang was waiting for.

"Even better. Just watch." Aang replied.

Katara smiled at him, willing to play along with his secretive game. She turned her attention towards the eastern sky, watching for whatever Aang was waiting for. Several minutes passed, and Katara didn't see anything of interest except for the sky growing brighter as dawn approached.

She was just about to ask Aang what they were waiting for when she saw it: a flash of green light just at the point where the sun was about to rise! It only lasted for a second, and then it was gone, leaving behind a rising sun and no evidence of the strange phenomenon they had witnessed.

"A Green Flash." Aang said.

"It was beautiful. I'd never seen anything like that before!" Katara gasped.

"As far as I know, it doesn't happen at the Poles." Aang said. "I thought it would be something that you'd want to see."

"It was beautiful, Aang. This whole night has been beautiful. Have I ever told you that you spoil me?" She asked, nudging him with her elbow.

"I only spoil you because you deserve it, every bit of it." Aang whispered in her ear, kissing her neck. Katara sighed, tilting her head to give him better access to the skin there. "There's one more thing…" He began, pulling away from her neck so he could gaze into eyes.

"One last surprise?" Katara asked.

"And the best one yet, I hope." Aang said, shifting his body so that he was kneeling in front of her. He took her hands in his. "Katara? Before my last surprise, I just wanted to let you know that these last few years that I've known you have been the best of my life. I never thought that I would fall in love as hard as I have, especially after being told I was the Avatar. I thought that being the Avatar would take over my life, including dictating who I would spend my life with. And then I met you… you believed in my abilities as the Avatar, but you never treated me as anything other than Aang. You brought joy to my life when there was only the despair of losing my people. You brought light into my life when there was only the darkness of an uncertain future. You brought love into my life when there was only the hatred of a century-long war in my mind. You are everything to me, Katara… everything. And I can no longer imagine one moment of my life without you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, my love, and not just as boyfriend and girlfriend, but bound together in every manner possible."

Tears of joy had started running down Katara's face as she began to pick up where Aang was going with this. "Aang…" She sighed happily.

Aang smiled. "I've all ready asked your father's permission, and he's given me his blessing. So, now I put the question to you… Katara of the Southern Water Tribe… my love, my soul mate… would you do me the very great honor of becoming my wife?"

Katara let out a sob, leaning down so that her forehead touched their joined hands. Aang waited breathlessly, his heart pounding in his chest. Her head started nodding vigorously and Aang's heart sped up even further, which he hadn't thought possible.

Katara looked up, met his eyes, and continued nodding. "Yes, yes, Aang… I'll become your wife! Nothing could make me happier!"

The newly engaged couple pulled each other into a tight embrace, shameless tears running freely down both of their faces as they cried with sheer happiness. They kissed wildly, not caring that the kissing technique that they had perfected over the years seemed to have disappeared entirely. All that mattered was kissing each other as much and as deeply as physically possible.

"You will? You really will?" Aang asked between hasty kisses pressed all over her face.

"Of course!" Katara replied. "You are everything to me too. And I've been waiting for you to ask me for months now."

"Sorry to make you wait." Aang said.

"It doesn't matter anymore. You asked, and I said yes. We'll have our whole lives together now."

"Yes… our whole lives." Aang sighed happily. "And I can't wait to face it with you."


	6. Day 6: Marriage and Adulthood

_You want to do something with their wedding? DO IT. Want to just flail around because YAY ADULTS? Something at that state in their life, before they had children._

**Day VI: Marriage and Adulthood**

**The Reception**

* * *

It was a beautiful fall day on the new Air Temple Island that was just off the coast of the newly-under-construction Republic City. The city was functional, but nowhere near completion. The Air Temple, however, was much simpler in design and, with an army of Earthbenders and the Avatar to assist in the construction, the Air Temple had been finished weeks before its deadline. As it turned out, it was finished just in time to become the site of the beginning of a new chapter in the story of Avatar Aang's life.

That very morning he had married his long-time girlfriend, Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. The ceremony itself had gone off without a hitch. Friends and family of the two young lovers had gathered on the island and watched as Aang and Katara pledged to spend the rest of their lives together, vows that they sealed before the eyes of their peers and the spirits with a passionate kiss.

It was now the party afterwards, and everyone sat in their assigned seating, waiting for the bride and groom to grace the room with their presence.

The high table had been filled, with the exception of two seats in the center for Aang and Katara when they arrived, by Katara's family and both of their friends. Katara's family sat on her side of the table, while the rest of the Gaang stood in for Aang's family on his side. It didn't matter to the rest that they were not blood-related to the bride or the groom. The war had forged friendships stronger than blood between the young people sitting at the table, and they were more than happy to celebrate the joyous event of the marriage between their two friends together.

At one end of the table, Zuko started to laugh to himself for seemingly no reason, and the other's looked up the table at him, confused. "What's up with Zuko?" Sokka asked, confused.

"He's probably gone crazy." Toph said flippantly. "I've been waiting for it to happen. The stress of being the Firelord finally got to him."

"No, it's not that at all." Zuko said. "I was just thinking… how ironic it is that I spent nearly three years of my life trying to hunt the Avatar down, and now… here I am… sitting in a place of honor at his wedding."

That comment led to a bought of introversion among the group. "I see what you mean." Sokka commented. "I used to be the only person with any real warrior training trying to protect my tribe at the bottom of the world. I honestly didn't think I'd amount to much more than that."

"I would probably still be with my parents, trying to cram myself into their mold of a perfect daughter, just to make them happy." Toph commented. "Our lives changed in a lot of ways once Aang came into them."

"None more so than Katara." Sokka said. "She fell in love with him from the start."

Toph snorted. "So says the guy who nearly fainted when he saw them kissing the first time."

Sokka glared at her before realizing that the gesture was lost on her. "I wasn't going to faint." He said shortly. "Besides, looking back, you guys were right. It was only too obvious that they belonged together. This day has been coming for four years."

Suddenly, a wave of applause swept through the room, and it took only a single glance to confirm what they all ready knew: Aang and Katara had arrived to the party.

The newlywed couple glided through the room, looking as if they were floating across the floor. For Aang, that could have been literally possible. They were beaming to the point where Sokka thought that their faces had to hurt from smiling so broadly.

Sokka studied his new brother-in-law. Aang had gone through a radical change in the last few years, and it was hard to believe that he was the same person who he had released from the iceberg all those years ago. The Avatar was tall, very tall. It had taken him only a year or so to shoot up in height and surpass everyone in the group, even the oldest: Zuko. The extra height had made him clumsy for a time, but it appeared that Aang had finally grown into his long legs and he had stopped tripping over himself. But, perhaps the thing that had shocked Sokka the most when he first saw it, was the small beard that the Avatar now sported. Overall, he was every bit as stunning as his fangirls made him out to be.

Katara, on the other hand, had grown up by becoming more and more like their mother, Kya. Her appearance had been more of a shock to Sokka than Aang's grown-up look. Sokka had thought that he was looking at his mother. Hakoda had reacted the same way… except that he had dropped a whole bowl of sea prunes on the ground at the sight of her.

They looked great together, Aang with his white clothes with gold accents and a red sash across his chest, and Katara in her blue and white wedding dress. Everyone in the room commented on how beautiful the newlywed couple looked and, judging by the looks on their faces, they heard every word.

They both made their way up to the high table. Hakoda stood up and leaned over the table, giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead. "You look so beautiful, Katara." He whispered to her.

"Thanks, Dad." Katara replied, smiling at him.

"And, Aang, I'm proud of you… son." Hakoda said, extending a hand towards the Avatar.

Aang smiled and gripped Hakoda's arm by the elbow in the traditional greeting between two Water Tribe men. "Thanks, Hakoda."

Aang and Katara moved around the table, giving their hellos to everyone they passed, and then Aang assisted Katara into her seat. On any other day, she probably would have insisted that she could sit by herself, but she was just too happy to do such a thing this day.

Aang remained standing and turned to address the gathered audience. "I want to thank all of you on behalf of myself and Katara for joining us in celebrating this very special day in our lives. It is mine and Katara's sincere hope that you will enjoy yourselves this afternoon." Aang said solemnly. Those who knew the Avatar seemed to be slightly put off by his show of formality. But then the whole illusion broke when Aang erupted into a wide smile again. "And have fun!"

This was met by cheers as Aang sat down next to his bride and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. The wait staff, which had been brought all the way from the Fire Nation Palace, jumped into action and began to serve the abundance of food and wine that had been prepared for the occasion of the Avatar's wedding.

It did not take very long for the speeches to start. In fact, they only had to wait for Sokka to finish his first helpings of food before he stood up and tapped on his wine glass to get everyone's attention.

"Excuse me; may I have everyone's attention?" Sokka called, and the room quieted down and turned their attention from their food back to the high table. "Most of you probably all ready know who I am, but for those of you who just work with Aang and don't know him as anything other than the high and mighty Avatar, I'm the brother of the bride and the Avatar's new brother-in-law! There is not a single person in this room who has known these two together for as long as I have. I was there when my sister cracked open the iceberg and revealed the missing Avatar. I didn't know it at the time, but everything is clear with hindsight… but Aang and Katara had an instant connection that went far beyond anything I've ever seen before. She trusted him right away, even though I didn't. They became easy friends from the first moment they met. And, as we traveled together, their relationship transformed until they were more than just friends. They fell in love with each other over the course of the war, and they probably would have married as soon as the war ended if they had been just a little older. Four years later, and my sister and her new husband have grown into fine adults, ready to take on the challenges of the world and their marriage together. Katara, my little sister… I'm so happy for you right now. And Aang… there isn't anyone else in the world that I would rather have my sister marry. You two are perfect for each other in every way, and I know that you'll have a happy marriage." He raised his wine glass in a toast. "To the bride and groom!" Everyone in the room toasted while Sokka sat down, and Katara kissed his cheek in thanks.

On the other side of the table, Toph now stood up to take her turn.

"I'm not exactly known for my words or speech-making abilities." Toph confessed. "But, for the sake of my friends, I'll try. I joined Aang's quest as his Earthbending instructor, so I suppose you could say that we got pretty close in a mentor-student kind of way. Aang was not the easiest person to teach Earthbending to, but he was an easy person to be around. I never had any siblings growing up, and neither did Aang, but I'd like to imagine that what we have is what a sibling's relationship would be like. We annoy the heck out of each other. And, boy, did we annoy the heck out of each other sometimes! But, you know what? When it came right down to it… Aang would always have my back, and I'll always have his. Being that close to Aang, I knew right away that he was head-over-heels in love with Katara, just about from the moment I met him. I've known from the moment that I met them and got to know them that they would have the sort of storybook romance that most people only dream about. They are not perfect, but they are perfect for each other, and that's the only thing that matters in the end. Aang, Katara… I'm so happy for both of you, and I wish you luck in starting your new life together." She raised her glass. "Cheers." Everyone toasted again.

Next it was Zuko's turn. As Toph sat down, he stood up, grinning across the table towards Aang and Katara. "I suppose I should start by saying what I just said to my friends up here a little while ago. If someone had told me years ago when I was trying to hunt down the Avatar that I would one day be invited to his wedding, I probably would have assumed they were drunk and locked them in the brig. But… fate works in mysterious ways, and here I am now… the Firelord and giving the toast at the Avatar's wedding. History repeats itself, for my great-grandfather… Firelord Sozin, was the best man at the wedding of my other great-grandfather, Avatar Roku." He glanced at Aang. "And don't you say a _word_ about being my great-grandfather!" Aang laughed. "Avatar Roku and Firelord Sozin's friendship did not end happily. It was, in large part, the destruction of their friendship that allowed the war to start. My relationship with Aang started troubled, but now the bonds of friendship that tie us together are stronger than any Avatar and Firelord in history. It was the end of one friendship between the Avatar and the Firelord that caused the war to begin, and the start of another friendship between the Avatar and the Firelord for the war to end. Poetic, in a way. Aang is more than just the Avatar to me. He is more than just a friend. He is my brother, in every way except blood. And, Katara… our relationship started out as bad as it was possible to be. I still don't know if she ever hated anyone as much as she used to hate me. We grew into our friendship. It was never easy, but I'm still very happy that I know her… even if she does sometimes hold a grudge." He smiled at Katara to let her know that he was just saying these things in fun. Katara laughed and shook her head in amusement. "Aang, you've chosen one of the strongest and most capable women that I've ever met to become your wife. But, more than that, you've chosen someone that you love with all of your heart, and she loves you just as much. It is rare to find such love in the world, and I know that you'll cherish that love every day that you have together. Aang, my brother; Katara, my friend… I wish you the happiest marriage possible." He raised his glass. "Cheers." The rest of the room followed suit.

The rest of the toasts proceeded without a hitch. Hakoda and Kanna spoke a few words, and some of the higher-ranking nobles also said some things about Aang's relationship with Katara, but none of the toasts had the emotional impact of the ones given by the couple's closest family and friends. The toasts finished and the band started playing some soft music for any couples who wished to dance to.

Grinning, Aang stood up and bowed deeply to his wife, extending his hand to her in a wordless invitation to dance. Katara smiled and accepted his hand and he led her onto the dance floor.

The whole room turned to watch as Aang and Katara took to the dance floor in their first dance as husband and wife. The young couple was famous all over the world for their ability to dance like no other, so people were eager to see what they would come up with.

The music was soft and slow, so the dance was not nearly as famous as their "Kataango" from the Fire Nation dance party years ago, but it still provided many moments for Aang and Katara to show off their ability and strength. Aang even tapped into his Bending abilities at times to pull off some stunning lifts. And the whole time they danced, they never took their hands or eyes off each other.

The dance ended with Aang and Katara in each other's arms, and they pulled each other into a soft kiss. The entire room burst into applause and Aang and Katara finally seemed to realize that they were not alone, but at the center of attention of the whole room. They blushed, but pulled each other into an embrace.

The next song started, and Aang felt someone tap his shoulder. He pulled away from Katara and saw that it was Hakoda. "Do you mind if I share a dance with my daughter?" The Water Tribe Chief asked.

"Of course not." Aang said, stepping away from Katara and bowing politely to his new father-in-law. Hakoda stepped forward and took Aang's place with his daughter. Katara smiled happily at getting the chance to share a dance with her father.

Aang moved away from the dance floor and back up to the high table. As he sat down, he was hailed by Sokka from down the table. "Hey, Aang… you know that I meant every word of my toast, right?"

"Of course I do, Sokka." Aang said, smiling happily. It was no shock that he was so happy. It had been his general state of being for the past few weeks.

"So… how long until you make me an uncle?" Sokka asked, and Aang blushed. "None of us are getting any younger, you know. You _need_ to have a boy. That way I can take him out and do all the fun father-son stuff that you won't do, like hunting…"

"Sokka, Katara and I all ready agreed that we'd raise our children as vegetarians." Aang sighed.

"And I'm just going to have to cure that of them, aren't I?"

"Sokka." Sokka flinched at the sound of his sister's voice. She had returned from her dance with her father. "Stop bothering Aang and I about having children. We get enough of that from almost every noble in existence. Aang and I want to wait a little before we have our first child… get this marriage thing down first."

"Really?" Toph said. "And here I was thinking that you guys would be having a little bundle of joy within the next nine months or so."

This time both Aang and Katara blushed. "Well, if it happens, it happens." Aang said finally.

"It doesn't matter when they decide to have their first child." Hakoda said. "I'm just happy knowing that my daughter has picked a wonderful man to father her children."

"Thanks, Dad." Katara said gratefully.

Aang stood from his seat and wrapped his arms around his new wife. "And speaking of children…" He began, grinning wickedly.

Katara blushed, but she smiled at him. "I suppose your right. I think it is time to take our leave."

Before anyone could say anything, the couple had snuck away so quickly that they could have just disappeared out the window. And, considering that Aang was an Airbender, that could have been what happened.

The rest of the Gang glanced at each other. "Honeymoon time?" Toph asked.

"Yep. Honeymoon time." Sokka confirmed, shaking his head to get the images of Aang and Katara doing… well, _that_ out of his head.

Just because he approved of their relationship and their marriage didn't mean he had to like the fact that Aang would soon be deflowering his little sister.


	7. Day 7: Continued

**LES: Well, here it is. The final day of Kataang Week. The main theme of this particular story is something that I think a good portion of the fandom has forgotten with The Legend of Korra: that even though Aang has passed and Kataang is not in the series, Kataang lives forever. As I've always said, no matter how much or how little they show of Aang and Katara's relationship in flashbacks in Korra, even if they show none at all, I will be happy in the knowledge that they were happily married for so long. And, without further ado, here is the final day!**

_The day has come when our Aang and Katara have children, many cute family moments. Or the day when Aang has to leave… -sniff-_

**Day VII: Continued…**

**Reunited**

* * *

If you walked up to any random person on the street and asked them who the most powerful Water Tribe healer was, you'd get the same answer every time. Everyone knew that it was Master Katara, the widow of the late Avatar Aang. The talented Waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe remained the first and only person who has ever successfully brought someone back from the dead.

A little less known was the identity of the second most powerful Water Tribe healer, but it wasn't much of a surprise when you thought about. She had been trained by the most powerful Bender and the most powerful Waterbender all her life, so it was no shock that Master Kya had all of her mother's talent.

Though Kya, as proof of her being a child of peacetime did not focus her Mastery on combat Waterbending. She could defend herself if need be, but it was in healing that she had her true calling. It was often said that she could reattach limbs, which was untrue. But, anything short of loss of limb and death could be healed by her.

This was why Kya couldn't understand why her healings were having so little effect on her latest and most important patient.

She and her brothers were gathered in the Southern Water Tribe, the birthplace of their mother. They all made a great effort to stay in contact with their mother, but they had not been drawn down to the South Pole for a pleasant visit.

Tenzin and Bumi, both of them having been in Republic City at the time, had received a message from the White Lotus. Master Katara was sick, and none of the treatments that the Healers of the South Pole were doing was working for her. Despite their best efforts, the venerable Water Tribe woman was dying.

Tenzin had immediately contacted his sister and, together, the siblings and their families had flown down to the South Pole with Tenzin. It was quite a group traveling to the South Pole. Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin with their families. Lin Bei Fong was coming as well. Avatar Korra and her friends refused to stay away. Korra, of course, loved her old Master. Not just because of any lingering feelings of love that she got from Avatar Aang, her previous incarnation, but because Master Katara had been one of her few friends while she was training with the White Lotus in the South Pole. Korra's friends: Mako, Bolin, and Asami did not know Master Katara like Korra did, but they came to be a support to their ailing friend.

Though Korra hardly seemed to need it. Indeed, she was the only person on the trip who had managed to remain in a relatively good mood.

They had arrived in the South Pole, and Kya had set to work on her mother immediately. But she soon became sick with the realization that there was very little she could do for her mother. It was just like when her father got sick. Nothing Katara did could help him. It was simply his time to go. Water Tribe healers could heal many different things, but time was still one of the things that no one could cure.

But Kya still persisted. Her normal cheerful disposition was gone as she poured her whole being into the healing in a desperate and futile attempt to save her mother. Once tears started to roll down her eyes, Bumi moved forward and pulled Kya away from their mother, pulling the sobbing woman into an embrace.

"There's nothing I can do." Kya whispered for her family to hear.

Tenzin stepped forward to join his siblings, and then he noticed that his mother was awake now and watching them. "Mother!" He gasped, moving to her side. Within moments, his siblings had joined him. Korra stood back near the wall of the small room. She longed to be up there next to Master Katara and her family, but she knew that this was a time for Katara to spend with her family.

Katara smiled warmly as her children took her side. "Kya… Bumi… Tenzin…" She said, smiling at each of her three children in turn. They had been her world ever since her husband passed away eighteen years ago, but she knew as well as they did that her time was coming to an end. "It's time."

Tenzin moved forward and grabbed her hand. "No, Mother…"

"Tenzin…" Katara whispered, grasping his tattooed hand in hers. "You know that this doesn't have to be a sad time. I don't want you to cry for me when I'm gone. I'm going to be reunited with your father, and we will both wait for our family to join us in the Spirit World, along with everyone who has gone before me."

"We know, Mom, but we still don't want you to go." Kya said tearfully. "We love you."

"I love you too." Katara replied. "From that moment that you were born, you became the world to Aang and I. We love you with all our hearts, and we will continue to watch over you from the Spirit World." She gazed at her three children. "But there is someone missing. Where is Korra?"

Korra jumped at the mention of her name and stepped out of the shadows. "I'm here, Master Katara."

"Well, stop standing in the shadows where I can't see you and come over here." Katara said kindly. Korra did as her old friend asked and moved closer to the bedside. As Korra moved closer, Katara's eyes drifted above her shoulder, and Korra knew very well what she was looking at. Ever since she had mastered the Avatar State, she had been more aware of spiritual matters. Korra could feel Avatar Aang's presence in the room, and she knew that Katara could feel it too. "You are the only person in this room with a smile on their face besides me. Would you care to let my sons and daughter know that there is nothing to worry about?"

Korra nodded. "Avatar Aang's spirit is here in this room right now. He's eager to be reunited with you."

"I know he is." Katara sighed. "Eighteen years I've been without him. I've held on this long because I know that's what he would have wanted. He would have wanted me to watch over and protect the new Avatar as I once did for him." She smiled at Korra. "You don't need my protection any longer."

"Mom…" Bumi began.

"And you don't need my protection any longer either." Katara smiled at her children. "All three of you are grown, you have your own families and your own lives. Aang and I raised you to the best of our abilities, but that is over now."

"You and Dad were the best parents we could have ever asked for." Kya said, smiling sadly. "I love you, Mom." She leaned down and kissed her mother's forehead.

"I love you too, Mom." Bumi said, leaning down and giving his mother a kiss as well.

It was Tenzin's turn. It was clear from looking on his face that he was making a conscious effort to be strong. "I love you too… Mom." He kissed her as well.

"I love you, my babies." Katara whispered. "But it is time for me to go now. Time for me to see your father again…" She closed her eyes and never opened them again.

It took a few minutes, and everyone stayed close as they waited for the old Waterbender. Soon her last breath left her body, and Korra burst into tears. Before anyone could comfort her, she had burst out of the room and back into the waiting room where the rest of her friends were waiting for her.

"Korra!" Asami gasped, having noticed when she came back into the room in tears. "Has it…?"

"Master Katara is gone." Korra sobbed, but when she looked up at them, she was smiling through her tears.

"Are you okay?" Mako asked, alarmed. He felt for sure that she gone into hysterics.

"I'm okay." Korra said, wiping away the tears and still smiling. "Master Katara got exactly what she wanted. She's with Avatar Aang now. I can feel his overwhelming happiness. They are together again."

* * *

Even though Katara was married to the Avatar, she'd never been to the Spirit World herself, though she'd heard Aang describe the sensation of going to the Spirit World many times before.

_Aang was right. It is like floating._ Katara thought to herself. She no longer had a body to weigh her down, so she was free to float anywhere she wanted. She could be anything she wanted and be anywhere she wanted. She was like a mist with a consciousness.

And then she felt a touch, a hand brushing through her soul, and she was able to pull her form together. As she grew more solid, or as solid as the Spirit World allowed, the hand that had brushed her consciousness was still there, caressing the skin on her face and her hair as it formed.

She did not open her eyes. She did not need to. She knew who it was. She knew him by his touch. She had never forgot his touch even after eighteen years of separation.

She breathed a single word, a name. "Aang."

"My love." He replied. She finally opened her eyes and met his gaze. She nearly began to cry with happiness. It was Aang, her beloved husband. He did not look as he had on the day of his death, but rather like he had in his fourth decade. Katara glanced down at her hand and knew that she was still the same age as she had been when she left.

"Why do you get your youth back?" Katara asked.

Aang smiled at her. "I don't care what you look like, Katara. But you can have your youth back as well." He changed before her eyes, suddenly appearing as a twelve year old, and then a twenty year old, and then looking as he had in his final year, before reverting back to forty years old. "You don't have a physical body anymore. You can look like anything you want to."

Katara nodded and concentrated on her form. It took a few moments, but she was able to rearrange herself so that she matched his age.

Aang smiled at her. "My beautiful wife… I've missed you so much, Katara."

"I've missed you too." Katara replied, leaning into him and kissing him. Aang wrapped his arms around her and gathered her against his chest, returning the kiss passionately.

They could have kissed for an eternity, but they eventually pulled away from each other, smiling. "But we're together again. And, now, we have all eternity to be together."

"All eternity, huh?" Katara smiled. "Not nearly long enough." And they kissed again, one of the first of many that would be shared over their existence.

Eternity was not nearly long enough.

* * *

**Fin**


End file.
